If you see value in distributing our materials but are unsure about getting involved with a group and would prefer to do it on your own, here’s the easiest way to go about it.

All of the sticker files on our Materials page are sized for 4×6 shipping labels. Thermal shipping label printers use heat to burn the image onto the label rather than printing with ink or toner, so after the initial purchase of the printer, there is no cost beyond the labels themselves, which you can get for a penny each.

We use the Rollo. This printer is compact, easy to use on the go, and quick (one sticker per second). The labels are water resistant and can also be used to turn PDFs into accordion style booklets as demonstrated below (note: the video is sped up slightly during printing).

It’s that simple. Just make sure your computer’s print settings are set to 4×6 and scaled to fit the page, and you’re good to go. A cheap guillotine paper cutter will make it easier to trim stickers that don’t take up the whole label. Or you can print directly onto labels and stickers of other shapes and sizes. You can also make signs by printing individual 6 inch letters and sticking them on poster board.

There are two downsides to these thermal labels. One: They only print solid black. Not black & white, just black. Shading will come out solid. Two: If left exposed to direct sunlight, they fade over time. However, this isn’t an issue when you pass them out or leave them to be taken, and if you make a regular habit of stickering, by the time they start to fade, you’ll be ready to replace them with a new sticker. Unless you do a lot of traveling, and if you focus on reaching the community you live in, you’ll find yourself running out of new places to put them up quicker than you think.

What to buy:

You can purchase the Rollo printer here for $179.

Rollo sells the labels on their website here at $20 for 500 ($0.04 per sticker) or you can purchase them on Amazon here at $60 for 5000 ($0.01 per sticker).

You can get the guillotine paper cutter here for $36 or in stores. These are easy to find and cheaper other places.

And of course, unless you buy their upgraded printer which allows you to print wirelessly from your phone, you’ll need a computer to print from.